Blizzard unveiled the title over the weekend at the 2008 Worldwide Invitational in Paris, France. Though no release date or window has been announced, Blizzard notes that the title will be hitting PCs and Macs simultaneously. When questioned about when fans might expect a potential release, the company responded as it always does by saying the equivalent of "when it's ready."

Like most iterations of Blizzard's key franchises, Diablo III will stay true to the series by offering the same time-tested core gameplay of its predecessors while catching up with the times graphically, and with a few gameplay innovations as well. The company has stated that it is seeking to make Diablo III "a fitting sequel" with the same "easy interface, fast-paced action, and visceral gameplay that Diablo players have come to expect and enjoy" along with numerous improvements to take the experience to the "next level."

Diablo III picks up twenty years after Diablo II. Though Mephisto, Diablo, and Baal—once prominent forces of darkness laying waste to the world of Sanctuary—have been defeated, the Worldstone, which protected the lands from further evil, has been destroyed, and thus Tristram is in peril again. Players will be able to choose from five different classes, with which they will attempt to save Tristram from evil.

Early screenshots of Diablo III are already looking pretty impressive.

So far, two player classes have been revealed: the Barbarian and the Witch Doctor. As in Diablo 2, the Barbarian fills the role of basher, using weapons and might over spells to wade through hordes of enemies. The first new class, Witch Doctor, brings to the table a collection of fire spells, curses, mind-control spells, life-draining abilities, and controllable pets. Though speculation is running wild about which other classes will make the cut, many are looking back at Diablo 2 for hints. The original starting line-up for Diablo II was Amazon, Barbarian, Sorceress, Necromancer, and Paladin.

In addition to a brand-new story and as-yet-unrevealed new player classes, known improvements for Diablo III so far confirmed include a Havok-powered physics engine for object and cloth dynamics, as well as water and ragdoll, more side quests including class-specific quests, improved random dungeon creation, class-specific gear with class-unique art, gendered versions of each class, Battle.net upgrades for the online component, and various online interface improvements. The first gameplay trailer for the title showcases a game which looks quite similar to Diablo II and maintains the original's mouse-only gameplay, top-down camera angle and all, but boasts some smooth graphics for a game so early in development.

Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment, expressed his company's pleasure in announcing the highly-anticipated title. "We've wanted to expand on the epic story and gameplay elements of the Diablo universe for some time now," said Morhaime. "We know that players have also been long awaiting a return to the series, so we're very excited to be sharing this announcement with Blizzard gamers here in Paris and around the world today."

With StarCraft 2 still in its early stages of development, and the latest World of Warcraft expansion on the way, Diablo III is still quite a ways away—don't get your hopes up for a late 2008 release. To curb the wait, more information about the title and its development progress can be found on the official Diablo III website, which Blizzard notes will be constantly updated throughout the course of development.